Stretcher



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(No Model.)V

O. J. PFEIPFER.

S-TRETCHER.

Patented Deo. 21, 1886.

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STRETGHER.

No. 354,579. Patented DeG.v21,-188'6.

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OSCAR JOSEPH PFEIFFER, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 354-579, dated December 21` 1886.

Application filed September 6, 1886. Serial No. 212,783. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it may conceive:

Be it known that I, OSCAR .Iosnrn PFEIFFER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city of Denver, county of Arapahoe, State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices commonly called stretchers, 'for carrying sick and inj ured persons.

The object of my invention is to construct a stretcher that may be compactly packed away when not in use,which is provided with means for keeping the patient on the stretcher, and which will afford a comfortable spring-rest for the patient. Y

The invention consists in a stretcher having eXtensible handles by which it is carried, which handles may slide in or out as desired, the distance between the handles being less than the width of the stretcher, so as to permit its passage with facility through narrow doors or openings without the persons bearing the same having to let go of their hold to prevent their hands from being lacerated.

It consists, also, in removable sides constitilting a crib that is adapted to be placed on and takes into mortises in the stretcher so as to prevent the patient from falling off of it.

It consists, further, in a spring rest or bed for supporting the above parts that may be folded up when not in use, and which may be placed upon the stretcher within the crib, so that the whole apparatus takes up but little room and may be stored away within small compass; and it consists, further, in the details of construction hereinafter to bev described and claimed.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, in which the same letters of reference refer to the same parts throughout the various views, Figure l represents a cabinet projection of the stretcher proper; Fig. 2, a cabinet projection of the .removable sides or crib for keeping the patient from falling off ofthe stretcher; Fig. 8, a cabinet projection of the folding spring rest or bed which is adapted to support the stretcher; Fig. 4, a cabinet projection of the stretcher sustained by the spring-bed having the `crib in place thereupon and containing a mattress for the patient; and Fig. 5,a cabinet projection of the above parts in their relative positions when stored away and placed on brackets supporting them.

S represents the stretcher, which has awebbing of canvas orother material stretched between its longitudinal framepieces, which are provided with angle-irons a a, die., as shown clearly in Fig. 1, and cross-ties T T, which angle-irons are adapted to receive handles H H, tbc., by which the stretcher is carried. These handles may be slid in or out, as desired. This permits the stretcher to be stored away within a small compass. They are also set inside of the framepieces so as to allow the stretcher to be carried throughV narrow openings without injuring the hands of those bearing it.

In the frame-pieces are mortises h h, &c., which are designed to receive tenons pp, tbc., extending from the crib O. (Shown in Fig. 2.) The crib is made as shown in this gure, and is fixed upon the stretcher after the patient is placed thereupon, so as to afford means for keeping the patient from rolling off of it.

The parts above described are designed to be sustained by aspring bed or rest, R (shown in Fig. 3) when the patient is being transported by a vehicle of any kind. Thisrest is composed of two stout longitudinal pieces of wood joined together by transverse ties c c, hinged at their middle and also at theirjuncture with the longitudinal pieces in the manner clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. The longitudinal pieces of rest R are also provided at each end with curved springs s s, die., each terminating in a hook for receiving the eye of arod, 1', which is supported by each pair of said curved arms. These rods can be unhooked from the curved springs, allowing the rest R to be folded together through the instrumentality of hinged transverse ties, the longitudinal frame-pieces being brought close together but maintained parallel with each other. This may be seen by a close inspection of Fig. 5, wherein the rest is shown folded up and placed upon the mattress within the crib, thus affording means for compactly storing the apparatus. This spring rest provides an easy and comfortable support for a patient and takes up any jar that otherwise would disturb the patient. It may be placed on the door of any vehicle or upon the backs IOO of the seats of the ordinary railway passenger-coach, or, indeed, supported between two seats of such a coach Whose backs are placed in opposite directions from each other. This rest may be made of various designs and in many other ways without departing from the spirit of myinvention, and I do not wish to limit myself to any specific forni.

In Fig. 4 all the .parts are shown in their relative positions when in use, and in Fig. 5 all of these same parts are shown stored away and supported by brackets B B, which may bev attached to the wall of a room, the handles in the latter instance beingpushed in out of the way.

In Figs. 4 and 5 the apparatus is shown as kprovided with a mattress, m, for the patient to lie upon. r

rIhe operation and the way of using my apparatus will be obvious from the foregoing and the drawings hereto annexed illustrating the same, and therefore need no further explanation.

I do not wish to confine myself to the exact form of apparatus set forth, as the same may be varied in many ways without departing from my invention, and I reserve the rightin practice, should I see fit, to make all those changes that come within the spirit of my in- Vention and the scope of what I now desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent.

I claiml. A stretcher provided with a rectangular frame or crib composed of end posts and connecting-slats, the whole adapted to be removably afxed to said stretcher.

2. Afoldingspringbedorrestforastretcher,

extensible handles, a crib adapted to be re-Y movably fastened thereto for the purpose described, and an independent folding springrest for supporting the aforesaid parts.

5. A stretcher having extensible sliding handles whereby they may be slid in out` of the way when it is not in use, a crib mounted upon the stretcher, an independent springbed upon which the stretcher is adapted to rest, and means for allowing said spring-bed to be folded up so as to be placed within the compass of said crib when the stretcher isnot in use, whereby the apparatus may be compactly stored away.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 10th day of August, 1886.

OSCAR JOSEPH PFEIFFER.

Witnesses:

J oHN HIPP, GEORGE A. CORBIN. 

